From Symbolic Representation to Submicroscopic One: Preservice Science Teachers’ Struggle with Chemical Representation Levels in Chemistry

Abstract

Being able to move between different representations levels (macroscopic, sub-microscopic, and symbolic) is important to understand a chemical phenomenon meaningfully. The current study investigated how pre-service science teachers moved from symbolic representation to sub-microscopic representation. A total of 205 pre-service science teachers, first, balanced the three chemical reactions and then drew the reactions’ sub-microscopic views if they were able to observe them. The findings revealed that pre-service science teachers are most successful at the symbolic level. Yet, this is not a valid conclusion for the sub-microscopic representation level. The drawings were analyzed concerning atomic size and molecular geometry and found that pre-service science teachers have common alternative concepts. Furthermore, they mostly have a superficial knowledge of the molecular geometry of chemical compounds. In conclusion, because pre-service science teachers will teach in their future careers, it is important to encourage them to comprehend chemical phenomena at each representation level and shift between them to prevent alternative concepts they may have.